Education

Mozart and Filipino Folk Songs

On Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Ottawa, the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Quebec and the Dominican University College (where Philippine Centre Canada offers computer and language classes) are celebrating their 75th and 50th anniversaries respectively with a musical concert entitled Soleil d’hiver (Winter Sun). The mostly classical repertoire which included works by Bach, Vivaldi, Grieg, Holst, Mozart, and Strauss also include a number of popular Filipino tunes played by brass ensembles and string ensembles. The mostly non-Filipino audience was treated to Filipino music played by mostly non-Filipino string and brass ensembles.

“There was significant variation in chronic low-income rates among immigrants from different places of birth. In 2012, immigrants from Northwestern Europe, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and the United States had rates in the 4% to 5% range, while those from East and South Asia had rates in the 17% to 19% range—roughly four times higher”.

These statistics show that it is a worthwhile endeavour to provide services to help integrate newly arrived immigrants and workers from the Philippines since there is a great potential for these and other Canadians of Filipino origin in contributing positively to Canadian society.

Challenge

The newly formed Board of Directors of Philippine Centre Canada has the challenge of not only promoting the integration of newly arrived Filipinos and Canadians of Filipino origin into Canadian society but also in engaging them in actively participating in building Canadian society. Philippine Centre Canada now takes on a new meaning, Philippines in the heart (centre) of Canada, a vision of enabling Filipino-Canadians and newly arrived Filipinos to help shape the community and the country that they now live in.

In the coming year, PCC will strive to offer a number of programs that will provide the necessary information and skills that can be used in helping build a better community and society. In the process of acquiring skills in various training programs, the participants, including all volunteers, will also gain more knowledge of the community they live in and hopefully commit themselves in helping build flourishing communities.